Continuous mining and conveying system



Jam. 31, 1967 w, IM R ET AL 3,301,602

CONTINUOUS MINING AND CONVEYING SYSTEM Filed Feb. 27, 1964 INVENTORS JOHN W. HEIMASTER ATTORNEY EDGAR H. CHURCH JR.

United States Patent F 3,301,602 CONTINUOUS MINING AND CONVEYING SYSTEM John W. Heimaster andEdgar H. Church, Jr., Charleston, W. Va., assiguors to Union Carbide Corporation, a corporation of New York 9 Filed Feb. 27, 1964, Ser. No. 347,732

'3'Clairns. (Cl. 299-64) This invention relates to a system for continuously mining a selected strata material and continuously and simultaneously conveying the mined strata material away from the mine site.

The use of continuous mining machines in combination with a train of conveyors to mine valuable strata materials, particularly coal, is well known. One of the problems in the use of a system of this type is how to guide the conveyor train. In general the presently known methods involve the use of various guide rails, such as those of Alspaugh et al. in US. Patent No. 2,948,552, or cables, such as those of Bergmann in US. Patent No. 2,722,409.

A simpler method, not requiring the use of external guide means, has been developed by this invention. The method of this invention generally comprises continuously and simultaneously with the mining operation genera-ting a relatively narrow, shallow groove in the floor of the seam being mined and employing as the conveyor train a plurality of conveyor units, each unit of which has a set of load-bearing wheels which are steerable in response to a groove follower member which rides in the groove.

FIGURE 1 is a schematic rear elevation view of a continuous mining machine adapted to generate a guide slot or groove in accordance with this invention;

FIGURE 2 is a schematic view, partly in cross-section, taken on the line 22 in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a schematic elevation view, partly in cross-section, of a suitable steering mechanism for use on each unit of the conveyor train; and

FIGURE 4 is a schematic view, partly in cross-section, taken along line 4-4 in FIGURE 3.

With reference to FIGURES 1 and 2, a conventional cutter bar 1 containing chain 3 and cutting elements 5 of suflicient length to cut shallow groove 7 in the floor of seam 9 is mounted on arm 11 attached to the rear of machine 13. Chain 3 and cutting elements 5 are driven in the direction of arrow 15 by flange-mounted gear motor 17 which is also mounted on arm 11. Because most mining machines pivot about a point forward of the rear of machine 13, arm 11 is preferably mounted on slide 19 riding in guides 21 attached to the rear of machine 13. Arm 11 is urged sideways by single-acting hydraulic cylinders 23 and pistons 25 to maintain the cutter bar approximately on the center line of the course taken by machine 13 and to prevent the generation of too wide an arc in groove 7 on turning. Cutter bar 1 is pivoted at its juncture with arm 11, and is raised and lowered by rotation about the pivot by double-acting hydraulic cylinders 27 and pistons 29 located on either side of cutter bar 1. Cutter bar 1 is equipped with shoes or wings 31 to urge the coal or other material thrown up by cutter elements 5 from groove 7 away from the edges of groove 7 thereby preventing the fragments from falling into and clogging groove 7. Wings 31 are preferably movable or flexible and are spring loaded to remain in substantial contact with the floor of the mine. Motor 17 and cylinders 23 and 27 are activated by conventional activation means not shown.

With reference to FIGURES 3 and 4, a suitable steering mechanism comprises load bearing wheels 33, each mounted on axle 35 secured to upstanding pivot 37 Ice ' attached to thebottom of conveyor unit 39. For turning each axle 35 about pivot 37 lever arm 41 forms a bell crank with axle 35. The outer ends of lever arms 41 are connected by common link 43 which is pivotally connected at 45 to groove follower support member 47 horizontally rotatable about vertical pivot 49 under lower member 47, when angularly displaced by groove 7, swings connecting link 43 toward one wheel 37 or the other, causing both wheels to be turned in the desired direction. Tension spring 53 is connected between projection 55 depending from the bottom of unit 39 and the end of member 47 for normally urging the steering mechanism in a centralized position.

Conveyor unit 39 is connected to conveyor unit 57 by swivel tongue 59 projecting between bifurcated lug 61 into which coupling pin 63 is urged by compression spring 65 extending around pin 63.

The cutter bar can be of any desired width, providing it is of sufiicient width to generate a groove wide enough to receive the groove follower of the steering assembly. The groove may be of any desired depth provided it is of sufficient depth to provide walls of sufiicient strength to withstand the pressure exerted by the groove follower, particularly on curves. It is desirable, although not essential, that sections of the groove subjected to severe wear, particularly curve-d sections, be lined with a wear resistant material, such as a metal liner anchored to the sides of the groove with spikes or anchor bolts.

What is claimed is:

1. In a continuous mining system comprising, in combination, a self-propelled vehicle adapted to ride on a floor of a mine, an attached conveyor train consisting of a plurality of steerable conveyor units adapted to travel on the floor of said mine, means mounted on one end of said vehicle for substantially continuously disintegrating and dislodging selected strata material, and means mounted on said vehicle for collecting the disintegrated and dislodged strata material and transporting it to the first unit of said train, the improvement comprising a cutter bar slideably mounted on the end of said vehicle opposite to said disintegrating and dislodging means for simultaneously and continuously generating a relatively shallow and narrow groove in the floor of said mine along the approximate line of travel of said vehicle and of sufiicient width and depth to receive a means for steering said conveyor units in response to the direction of said groove.

2. In a continuous mining system comprising, in combination, a self-propelled vehicle adapted to ride on a floor of a mine, an attached conveyor train consisting of a plurality of steerable conveyor units adapted to travel on the floor of said mine, means mounted on one end of said vehicle for substantially continuously. disintegrating and dislodging selected strata material, and means mounted on said vehicle for collecting the disintegrated and dislodged strata material and transporting it to the first unit of said train, the improvement comprising means mounted on said vehicle for simultaneously and continuously generating a relatively shallow and narrow groove in the floor of said mine along the approximate line of travel of said evhicle and ofsufficient width and depth to receive a means for steering said conveyor units in response to the direction of said groove, said means for generating said groove comprising, in combination, a cutter bar slideably mounted on the end of said vehicle opposite to said disintegrating and Patented Jan. 31, 1967 Ways,-and means for raising and loweringsaid-cutter.

bar.

3. In a continuous mining system comprising, in combination, a self-propelled vehicle adapted to ride on a floor of a mine, an attached conveyor train consisting of a plurality of steerable conveyor units adapted to travel on the floor of said mine, means mounted on one end of said vehicle for substantially continuously disintegrating and dislodging selected strata material, and means. mounted on said vehicle for collecting the disintegrated and dislodged strata material and transporting it to the first unit of said train, the improvement comprising means mounted on said vehicle'for simultaneously and continuously generating a relatively shallow and narrow groove in the floor of said mine along the approximate line of travel of said vehicle and of sufiicient Width and depth to receive a means for steer ing said conveyor units in response to the direction of said groove, said means for generating said groove comprising, in combination, a cutter bar slideably and rotata'bly mounted on the end of saidvehicle oppositeto said disintegrating and dislodging means, a pair of cooperative single-acting hydraulic cylinders for sliding said cutter bar sideways, and a pair of cooperative double-acting hydraulic cylinders for rotating said cutter I bar and thereby raising and lowering said cutter bar.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,296,027 3/1919 Whipple 1 04-244.1 1,674,870 6/1928 Morgan 29956 2,699,328 1/1955 Alspaugh et a1. 29956 2,780,451 2/1957 Alspaugh et a1. 29918 FOREIGN PATENTS 578,847 7/1958 Italy.

20 ERNEST R. PURSER, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A CONTINUOUS MINING SYSTEM COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A SELF-PROPELLED VEHICLE ADAPTED TO RIDE ON A FLOOR OF A MINE, AN ATTACHED CONVEYOR TRAIN CONSISTING OF A PLURALITY OF STEERABLE CONVEYOR UNITS ADAPTED TO TRAVEL ON THE FLOOR OF SAID MINE, MEANS MOUNTED ON ONE END OF SAID VEHICLE FOR SUBSTANTIALLY CONTINUOUSLY DISINTEGRATING AND DISLODGING SELECTED STRATA MATERIAL, AND MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID VEHICLE FOR COLLECTING THE DISINTEGRATED AND DISLODGED STRATA MATERIAL AND TRANSPORTING IN TO THE FIRST UNIT OF SAID TRAIN, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING A CUTTER BAR SLIDEABLY MOUNTED ON THE END OF SAID VEHICLE OPPOSITE TO SAID DISINTEGRATING AND DISLODGING MEANS FOR SIMULTANEOUSLY AND CONTINUOUSLY GENERATING A RELATIVELY SHALLOW AND NARROW GROOVE IN THE FLOOR OF SAID MINE ALONG THE APPROXIMATE LINE OF TRAVEL OF SAID VEHICLE AND OF SUFFICIENT WIDTH AND DEPTH TO RECEIVE A MEANS FOR STEERING SAID CONVEYOR UNITS IN RESPONSE TO THE DIRECTION OF SAID GROOVE. 